Sat 10 Nov 2018

The Anvil, Basingstoke

Brahms: A German Requiem

Vaughan WilliamsFantasia on a Theme by Thomas TallisBrahmsA German Requiem

Marin Alsop conductorElizabeth Watts sopranoSamuel Hasselhorn baritoneChoir of the Age of Enlightenment

A Requiem for the masses.

To mark Armistice Day, we perform Brahms’ epic German Requiem, the landmark moment in the composer’s career.

Music written for the Requiem Mass was usually performed in Latin. But Brahms broke the mould with this colossal, controversial German-language masterpiece. Not only did it speak directly to the people, it also approached death from more of a humanistic perspective. It’s less a lament for the dead as music offering consolation for those left behind.

For the first time, we’re also performing Vaughan Williams’ mystical Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Written in a period of national introspection when English composers were unearthing forgotten treasures from the 16th and 17th centuries, it’s unusual orchestration creates a haunting, timeless effect, perfectly suited to our period strings.

We welcome back Marin Alsop, who conducted A German Requiem with the Orchestra to critical acclaim at the BBC Proms in 2013.

Venue details

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One Comment

Thank you a wonderful and moving concert. I cannot think of a more moving way to mark the ending of the Great War 100 years ago Art and music are universal Wheher the great composition of Brahms or Vaughan Williams who served on the Western Front.
Well done to all involved